Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here Have you ever been to a family gathering where someone unexpectedly pulled out an old family photo album or dusty box of records and you found yourself completely unprepared to record the treasures? How about a trip to a library or research center where you found way more great … These 3 Smart Devices Let You Record Genealogy Documents, Photos and Stories Anywhere Read More »
Detailed prompts for your next fantasy project.
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The top 25 Irish genealogy online record collections. These are the largest online collections for Irish genealogy research.
Trauma impacts the mind and body in numerous ways. I have worked with many children and adolescents that have presented the following symptoms. One client in particular exhibited each of the follo…
Here are some ideas of places to search for family photos.
Napkin Fold cards definitely have the WOW factor! They are made from a single sheet of cardstock that folds inward to form a kind of pouch that would be perfect for hiding a gift card or some money. You can decorate the card with co-ordinating pieces of patterned paper and an embellished belly band to hold everything together. Fold Template 1. Start with a sheet of cardstock measuring 11" x 11". Score at 23/4" and again at 81/4". Turn the cardstock 90 degrees and score again at 23/4" and 81/4". 2. Fold and crease along each score line. Your cardstock should look like the photo below. 3. Find the centre point of the cardstock by measuring 51/2" from each edge toward the middle. Mark the centre with a small dot. 4. Fold each corner into the centre. Notice how my score lines line up as I fold. 5. Open the cardstock out again. It should look like the picture below. 6. Now it's time to fold it up. Start by pushing in on one side. Hold down the large triangle with your fingers, then bring the corners of the cardstock back into the centre. Do this on all four sides. (I practiced this step with printer paper a few times before I got the hang of it.) 7. Now take one corner and fold it backward, lining up all the edges and points. Crease well, and repeat for the remaining three points. 8. You've now finished creating the base card. All that's left is the decorating... the fun part! 9. To decorate, you'll need three sheets of co-ordinating patterned paper. One that measures 5" x 5" and two that measure 43/4" x 43/4". 10. Start with the paper measuring 5" x 5". Use your trimmer or a craft knife to cut from one corner to the other so you end up with two large triangles. 11. Cut both triangles in half again so you end up with four smaller triangles. Set them aside. 12. Cut the two 43/4" x 43/4" pieces of patterned paper in the same way so you end up with four triangles from each sheet of paper. Now cut each of these small triangles once more so you have eight tiny triangles from each sheet of paper. 13. You should now have four large triangles and sixteen small triangles. 14. These triangles will fit perfectly inside each of the creases you made on your card, with a little border around the edges. If desired, ink the edges of your patterned paper and cardstock before you adhere them together. 15. Cut a 51/4" x 51/4" piece of neutral cardstock for the centre of the card. This is where you will add your handwritten message so make sure the cardstock you use isn't too textured or dark in colour. Add a stamped image and sentiment then adhere to the centre panel of the card with double sided tape. 16. Create a belly band from 12" strips of cardstock and patterned paper. You can make the band as wide as you like. I cut a 2" strip of vanilla cardstock, a 1" strip of red cardstock and a 3/4" strip of patterned paper for my band. 17. Fold the band around your card to get the correct measurement. Overlap and secure the ends at the front of the card. 18. Embellish a little disc or tag to cover the join and add some extra strength to the band. 19. Fold your card and slip the band over to keep everything together. Done!
Published: For the Society by the Fackenthal Publication Fund, 1917-1932
Here are some suggestions for finding your female ancestor's maiden name.
If you want to find out more about your family, download the life history questions and make time to interview your family members. Learn some fun facts.
Here's how to use one of the best free genealogy research tools out there, Findagrave.
Yes, free genealogy sites do exist. Here's how to avoid spending money on ancestry research without limiting your tree.
MyHeritage has created two advanced photo enhancing tools that will help you get to know your ancestors in a whole new way. MyHeritage in Color, coupled with the site’s Photo Enhancer technology, can transform your old family photos into sharp and vibrant images that reveal previously hidden details.
My family reunion was last weekend and I had a great time. Family members were so warm and welcoming to my husband and me despite the fact that my branch of the family had not been represented at that reunion in a couple of generations. I was given family pictures (some of which I’ll probably […]
Every old mystery photo is full of clues if you know where to look. Let’s break this one down into five steps: 1. Consider the provenance.Phyllis Reakes’ first cousin gave her this photograph.
The English Parish Register Guide shows you how to find English Parish Registers online, both free and paid for as well as physically in archives.
Newly released U.S. Veterans' Claim Files, 1917-1948 now available from the National Archives and Records Administration, w/ info on accessing these records.
As personal historians, Tom and I mostly focus on helping people tell the stories of their own lives. But what if your chosen project is to tell not your own story, but that of an ancestor? Ancestral stories present a different kind of challenge than writing our personal stories—in personal historie
For a long time, German census records were thought not to exist. But they do! A leading German genealogy expert tells us how they’ve been discovered and catalogued—and where you can learn about…
I have been doing genealogy since I was a little girl. I am well on my way to Medicare - so I have been doing genealogy for a very long time. When I began, computers were not used to do genealogy but today, that seems to be about the only way to go...maybe even the best way to go. I have containers stuffed full of materials I have gathered over the years - certificates, copies of my pedigree and family group sheets, tons of notes, photo copies of all of my research, and of course, pictures. I have had a great way of organizing my work so that I could easily take what I needed to work on to the Family History Center to do my research but with the changing ways of doing genealogy, I have been confused with how to switch over to this new system of research. So my old system was to make folders for each surname and a folder for each person with that surname. As I gathered information, I would organize it into the proper folders (even making duplicate copies so that the correct information could be placed into each person's folder that the document applied to), and thus making a complete history of each and every person in my direct lines. I taught this system and it seemed to work for almost everyone (maybe some tweeking here and there to each person's likes). I called this system ABC-123 because the surnames are organized into ABC order and the names within that surname are in 123 order (putting the first name that introduces that surname as 1 - that person's father is 2, grandfather is 3, etc. - it has nothing to do with which generation they are from you!). I stored all of these in a portable file case so that I could take it with me to the Family History Center (FHC) or I could pull just a few folders if I was doing a specific family research. Then I got a computer. I continued with ABC-123 for a very long time because I could not haul my computer around with me so I still needed the full information when I went to a FHC. But, as computers got better and programs became so much better, I found a new way to do the ABC-123 system. I got a 1 1/2" binder and set it up in the same way as my files. I used this as my "working" folder. So instead of hauling the whole file cabinet, I only had to take my binder. Behind each name I had their family group sheets showing them as a parent. They would be shown as a child under their parent's section. As I researched, I would enter the information I found onto the pages in the family group sheet in different colors. The colors dictated to me what the source was. (ex: 1850 census Martin County IN - all information gleaned would be in red. Death certificate of so and so would be written in green, etc.) When I ran out of different colors and/or when the page looked really messy, I would transfer the information (and documentation) into my genealogy program (at that time I used PAF). I would then print out new pages and replace the old colored pages in my binder. If I photo copied any information, the copy was put into my hard files (so I still used the file system and kept it at home). (The picture shows the binder with a family group sheet - the purple page is a list of census records where I found this person/family.) Now with the computer age upon us, I have lap tops that I take to the FHC, but more important, I only really have to take my flash drive (thumb drive or whatever you know it as) with me. I use the Roots Magic program instead of PAF (I easily transferred ALL of my information from PAF over to RM in about 1 second) and my flash drive actually has my personal genealogy along with the program so I can use this flash drive on any computer - even ones that do NOT have the Roots Magic program on them. I have taught myself to record all of my research finds directly onto my genealogy program right as I am working on it. (I say taught myself because I have been so bound to the physical paper that it actually was difficult for me to change and use only the computer.) What does this do for me? It reduces tons of paper work, it allows me to quickly look at any person in my program and know everything about that person, it greatly reduces what I now have to take to the FHC. Now, all I take with me are my flash drive, pen and paper (because I still need to take some instant notes but they are not notes that I need to keep). a calculator (because my brain doesn't want to figure out dates), a small portable magnifying glass (my eyes are not the greatest these days), and a snack (because I get really hungry working on genealogy all day). That's it! So easy. And more important, when I go home, I almost always have nothing extra to take home because everything has already been recorded. Note: I also save documents on my flash drive as I go so that I now have a digital record of the actual document so I can look back at it anytime I need to. By the way, almost all of my research is done on the Internet these days so it is easy to copy and save the documents in a digital file. If I do bring home printed copies, I do file them. So now I still have all of this paper stuff and what do I do with it? I have discovered that I almost never get into my folders that I once treasured. I am getting ready to teach a class at the FHC on this exact subject so I decided that I had better come up with some kind of program that I can use, that others might like, and that works. By the way, my philosophy is - If it works for you, then don't change. We all come up with ways to do things and if it is working for you then by all means, do not change it. It is a huge waste of time to change to another program only to find that you liked your original program better. If you find your system does not work for you, then look for a better way. This last weekend I made my decision as to how I would save my paper items. I have done away with my ABC-123 file folders - in a way. I have kept the Surname folders (only) and kept the portable file case. I still file the surnames in the ABC format. In this case I put miscellaneous information collected that has no place on my genealogy program (yet). I also keep some misc. packets of information gathered - like I have small books on say the "Smith" family so I file it behind the Smith name. This is a "small" holding place. I am trying to rid myself of unnecessary papers so I am only holding onto things that I feel are of value to my research or treasured for that surname. I do have a box of information that I still need to enter into my genealogy program - after all, it takes a long time to extract information off of papers collected for many years. As I enter that information, I dispose of the papers. I have elected to keep the binders (I have several binders because I had too much information for just one. I divided my lines into my grandparent's lines so each binder begins with one of my grandparents instead of me or my parents.) but honestly, I do not keep them updated. I have them more for teaching purposes and for some family members that may need to see a printed version of my work. I do store some papers in there that I am not ready to part with such as census records that I view often. Sometimes it is easier to look at a hard copy than see it on the computer screen. I have begun a NEW binder. This is my Certificate Binder. I am putting my original copies of certificates, letters, and important keeps, into this binder (in archival plastic slips). I have set it up under Surnames in the ABC order but I also have a section in the back for non direct lines (somehow I have collected several birth, death, obits, etc. from non direct lines - aunts and uncles etc.). I put the documents into ABC order of first names behind the Direct Line Surnames and ABC order of surname in the Non Direct Line section. It may sound confusing, but it is really quite simple. So under my Smith line, I have my grandmother's birth certificate and her death certificate. All certificates that would apply to her will be kept close together except for her marriage or family related certificates. Those I always file behind the husband's name. (I do make copies of delicate original documents to preserve them as a backup.) The purpose of this book versus filing these bits of information in various places allows me to quickly find original documents. I keep this binder at an easy to access area whereas I store much of the other hard copy information out of sight. Basically, I eliminated the individual files for each person and save the space by just putting this vital information into one easy to access location. This last weekend, I began getting rid of tons of stuff. It felt so good to finally go through all of those records that I was no longer using and reduce the size of my files. I am finding the new certificate binder a nice way to store my original documents and very easy to find what I want when I need it. I love using my flash drive to record ALL of my findings as I do my research and it is so much easier now that I have trained myself to record things as soon as I find them. Be sure to make back ups of your flash drive often or all of that work may be in vain. I save my information in at least 5 different places (on several flash drives, on all of my computers, I send it as a file to an Internet email address, I keep a copy in my safe, and I make hard copies for my binders - I still do have my family binders with printouts of my pedigree and family group sheets with the sources and notes I have recorded on my computer program). Bottom line - If you have moved into the computer age with your genealogy program but are still in the dark ages with mounds of hard copies and documents, try as I have done and re-think your research documentation and collections by entering it onto your genealogy program and working from your flash drive. It really is nice having it all in one place and not having to lug around a ton of books and such. Try it - you might like it!
All of these things will give your house a delightful Welsh touch
Do you have a family tree mystery that might be solved by a medical record? I do. My grandfather had an aunt who immigrated from Norway to North Dakota in 1915. She was married in 1917 and our records show that her husband died around 1920. We cannot find records of her after her marriage in 1917, but oral family history says that she may have spent some time in an asylum.
Some time ago I made ancestor cards as a tool to teach family about our ancestors. Here are two of the cards.
I promised a picture tutorial for making a Dahlia Fold flower and today’s the day! Making these flowers is very addictive and so much fun. I will say that at first, I got a little frustrated folding the tiny pieces but with practice it has turned from frustrating to fun. Practicing with larger circles is […]
How to find English Parish Registers using Bespoke Genealogy's free English Parish Register guide. Details of physical and online collections
Join the November photo a day challenge! Take a look at the list, take a daily photo and share it! #FMSphotoaday Are you in?
I saw this craft table by Bubblewrapp'd on Pinterest today and just had to share the brilliant design with all of you! It folds up into a cute frame on the wall when not in
Keep your genealogy research manageable with our expert tips to get you started started organizing your family photos to bring a meaningful visual element to your genealogy projects.
Even if you didn't inherit a photo of your Civil War ancestor, there are several sources you can use to find his physical description.
You've finally managed to corner Grandma with tape recorder in hand. She's told you about where she's lived, what her childhood was like, and how she met Grandpa. You have a lot of the basics--but now you want to dig a little deeper. How do you get her to open up? Not to worry. Here are a few quest
There’s a new tool on the market lots of stampers are talking about, it’s a hinged stamp positioner. Of course when you love to DIY and craft you might want to try to make your own inst…
Today is a good day to digitize your family history. The equipment has never been cheaper, storage for your files is all but free, and once done, you remove forever the risk that a fire or flood carries away your heritage.
In my previous post, I reviewed Paper Folding Templates, by Trish Witkowski (Apple Press, 2012). The author expressed the desire for the templates to be used as "a springboard for creativity". Today's blogpost projects are based upon a couple of the wow-factor designs in the book. First up, a couple of Fold 'n' Twist Cards, based upon the Twist Fold card on page 151: The design is true to the template, whose design lines are similar to these: I simply dropped a design into the format. (The circle of text in the centre says "Happy Spring!", in case you were wondering.) After that straightforward use of the format, I decided to experiment and turn the idea into a flower shape: With inner petals No inner petals These cards are big fun in that they have a TARDIS-like effect - bigger on the inside (once they have been opened). Like so: To open, pull petals in opposite directions. Remove the seal first! Tah dah! The text reads " Birthday Wishes". Since I was pursuing a Springtime/flower theme, I then followed up with a hexagonal design. The book featured a folded card with a configuration similar to the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt pattern: I played around with it, edited it down and tried different folding methods to come up with these: The basic pattern is like this: I have always been partial to swirls! Pinch the corners to make the triangles, fold them flat to the centre, spiralling them round. So there you go - start with a template, then experiment. Here are your downloadable printables (my original designs, not using the templates from the book, but using the ideas in the book as a starting point): TwistFoldSpring.pdf TwistFoldBirthdayFlowerPetal.pdf TwistFoldBirthdayFlower.pdf FoldingFlowerGetWell.pdf FoldingFlowerThinkingofYou.pdf Have fun making your surprise-factor cards. And enjoy experimenting with folded shapes.
Looking for free Canadian genealogy records? From vital records to immigration, here are the top sites to search today.
I came across this neat graphic on the Got Genealogy? FB page. A simple summary of some “Golden Rules of Genealogy.” I love #1 – Speling Dusn’t Cownt. How many times have I talked with people who really get hung up on spelling. Typically, that changes once I show them how many ways I found their ancestors name or place of residence listed! Which is your favorite rule? What rule(s) would you add? Editor’s Note: the graphic contains a statement “You have our permission to use/publish these Golden Rules as much as you like. Just give us credit for them, okay?” GotGenealogy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ copyright © National Genealogical Society, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to [email protected]. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]
Ancestors did not always live happily ever after. Learn how to search for an ancestor's divorce records and find clues to advance your genealogy research.
I have been doing my family history research from time to time. I still have so much information to gather but it does not discourage me but...
As personal historians, Tom and I mostly focus on helping people tell the stories of their own lives. But what if your chosen project is to tell not your own story, but that of an ancestor? Ancestral stories present a different kind of challenge than writing our personal stories—in personal historie
Hello and thank you for stopping by my blog! If you have been here before you know that I like to make unique gifts. One thing I strive to do with my gift giving is to add value and meaning to the recipients life. That is especially true when it comes to a wedding gift. I had so much fun making this one - a wedding gift inspired by love songs. The title of the gift is inspired by the song, "Love You Like a Love Song" by Selena Gomez. The other songs I chose helped me with what I purchased for the kit. I made tags to go with each corresponding item, and typed out the lyrics that went with the tag. I chose each song because it had some good marital advice in it. Here is what I came up with.... 1. Love Like Crazy - by Lee Brice. I bought the book "The Five Love Languages"by Gary Chapman. I haven't personally read this book, but I read "The Five Love Languages for Teenagers" and it was wonderful. I am sure this is a good read for the newly weds. 2. Don't - by Shania Twain. I bought a rug. The song basically says not to brush things under the rug. Good marital advice. 3. Meet in the Middle - by Diamond Rio. I bought Chips Ahoy Middles. I really struggled with what I was going to buy to go with this song, then I ran it by my daughter and she suggested these cookies. It is great to get suggestions from other people! 4. I Won't Let Go - by Rascal Flatts. I bought the Schticky. Those commercials are so corny, but they make me want to buy the product - and I love saying "Schticky". The song is about schticking together and standing by your loved one. 5. Remember When - by Alan Jackson. A photo album goes with this song. I covered an album with drop cloth and personalized it. I will post how I did that soon. Watch this song on You Tube with the Up movie version. If you are like me you will cry your eyes out. 6. I purchased the songs on iTunes and burned them to a CD. It was really weird burning a CD as I don't use CD's anymore, but I needed one to go with the kit. I made a box bag - CLICK HERE for the tutorial. I used a 10 pound blueberry box for my base, cut off the upper flaps, measured and cut the paper, and put it together as the tutorial indicates. The upper right picture shows all the goodies in the box bag read to be closed. Then I taped it up, tied a bow on it and secured the tag on. Here is one of the song tags. Each tag comes with the title tag, and two pages of lyrics. I tied all of them together to make one tag and tied it to the corresponding item with ribbon. Below are all the files for the tags. Right click, copy and paste into your favorite publishing program. And there you have it! Do you know anyone who is getting married soon? Thanks for stopping by! Linking up to... Tatertots and Jello
Finding the genealogy records you need can be a challenge when you are just starting out. Here are 15 places to start!
Well, not exactly…not here in Arizona anyway. 😉 We’ve enjoyed some cooler temperatures this week, which has been so nice, but this is definitely not the typical Fall weather I’m used to at home! Fall is one of my favourite times of year and I think it definitely shows with all the Fall projects I’ve […]
